What do you guys think of this? I know it realy wouldn't effect the sox because 3 is already retired but I don't think I am a huge fan of this "idea" but I felt it would make for interesting conversation.

That said do you ever see Jordan's 23 being retired in the NBA much like Gretzky's 99 was retired in the NHL or Jackie's 42 in MLB?

(I know many of you are sick of hearing all of the coverage on Yankee Stadium closing but I thought this was an interesting proposition)

SaltyPretzel

09-23-2008, 12:06 PM

I think it's a dumb idea to retire anyone's number who didn't play for your team. Where do you stop?

RedHeadPaleHoser

09-23-2008, 12:07 PM

I think it's a dumb idea to retire anyone's number who didn't play for your team. Where do you stop?

Jackie Robinson - absolutely for what it stood for.

Babe Ruth, from the White Sox? NFW. #3 is already retired for us. :D:

doublem23

09-23-2008, 12:09 PM

Lame. The only thing baseball should do is unretire 42 in the American League and then retire Larry Doby's 14 in all American League parks.

btrain929

09-23-2008, 12:09 PM

Dumb.

asindc

09-23-2008, 12:10 PM

Jackie Robinson is a unique case, one that we don't want to repeat (I'm talking about the circumstances leading to his iconic status, not the tribute). Just because Ruth was most likely the best player ever is not a good enough reason for me. What next, Jim Brown in football and Jordan in basketball? I think where the line is currently drawn is where it should stay.

asindc

09-23-2008, 12:11 PM

Lame. The only thing baseball should do is unretire 42 in the American League and then retire Larry Doby's 14 in all American League parks.

Agreed.

hi im skot

09-23-2008, 12:31 PM

Weak sauce.

voodoochile

09-23-2008, 12:37 PM

Kind of an odd thing to do. Might Hank Aaron have a case that his number should be retired too?

I think this is a bad idea...

Uncle_Patrick

09-23-2008, 12:43 PM

Kind of an odd thing to do. Might Hank Aaron have a case that his number should be retired too?

I think this is a bad idea...

Or Barry Bonds?

Oblong

09-23-2008, 01:21 PM

Absolutely not. Jackie Robinson was a special circumstance so I can live with that, even if not agreeing with it. It doesn't really hurt anything and there's no slippery slope potential. I didn't like it when Gretzky's 99 was retired by the NHL because, as pointed out earlier, where do you stop? Gretzky wore #9 because of Gordie Howe's #9. Do we retire that one too? What about Lemieux? Orr? Richard? It's certainly arguable that Gretzky wasn't the greatest ever.

And baseball's especially difficult because it's very hard to compare across eras and to differentiate between hitters and pitchers, ignoring that Ruth was both.

Mickey Cochrane and Alan Trammell would have something to say about that.

What do you guys think of this? I know it realy wouldn't effect the sox because 3 is already retired but I don't think I am a huge fan of this "idea" but I felt it would make for interesting conversation.

That said do you ever see Jordan's 23 being retired in the NBA much like Gretzky's 99 was retired in the NHL or Jackie's 42 in MLB?

(I know many of you are sick of hearing all of the coverage on Yankee Stadium closing but I thought this was an interesting proposition)

Terrible idea

Not a fan at all of the global retirement idea.

D. TODD

09-23-2008, 01:36 PM

There was some talk of #21 being retired for Roberto Clemente and his influence on the game with latin players.

skottyj242

09-23-2008, 02:07 PM

Will the Yankees retire 42?

alohafri

09-23-2008, 02:08 PM

There was some talk of #21 being retired for Roberto Clemente and his influence on the game with latin players.

Then Hideo Nomo for the Japanese players, and Hee Sop Choi for the Korean players, Jose Contreras for the Cubans. Where will it end? Jackie Robinson was African American. Couldn't it just be said that by crossing the "color line" he crossed it for all "people of color"?

Nellie_Fox

09-23-2008, 02:10 PM

...Jose Contreras for the Cubans. Have some historical perspective. That would have to go to our own beloved Minnie.

asindc

09-23-2008, 02:19 PM

Will the Yankees retire 42?

They already have. They are just waiting for Mariano Rivera to retire or leave the club. Rivera was grandfathered in along with a couple of other players who wear/wore 42 as a tribute to Robinson.

doublem23

09-23-2008, 02:31 PM

Then Hideo Nomo for the Japanese players, and Hee Sop Choi for the Korean players, Jose Contreras for the Cubans. Where will it end? Jackie Robinson was African American. Couldn't it just be said that by crossing the "color line" he crossed it for all "people of color"?

That atmosphere when Nomo and Choi came to America was a bit different than that of Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente.

chaerulez

09-23-2008, 03:47 PM

Kind of an odd thing to do. Might Hank Aaron have a case that his number should be retired too?

I think this is a bad idea...

Exactly where would you stop? Jackie Robinson was different because his career had social implications that played a big part in the history of this country. Why stop at Aaron, why not Mays and Mantle? Babe Ruth was a great player, the greatest of his generation but at the same time I don't think that merits any sort of league wide number retirement.

skottyj242

09-23-2008, 04:08 PM

They already have. They are just waiting for Mariano Rivera to retire or leave the club. Rivera was grandfathered in along with a couple of other players who wear/wore 42 as a tribute to Robinson.

Dude, I'm not a ****ing idiot. I was asking if they would re-retire it or have an * next to it for Mariano.

asindc

09-23-2008, 04:12 PM

Dude, I'm not a ****ing idiot. I was asking if they would re-retire it or have an * next to it for Mariano.

Whoh, easy there. How could I know you already knew that from the way you phrased the question?

As far as the most recent question you ask, I don't know how they plan to honor Rivera.

doublem23

09-23-2008, 04:51 PM

Dude, I'm not a ****ing idiot. I was asking if they would re-retire it or have an * next to it for Mariano.

Whoh, easy there. How could I know you already knew that from the way you phrased the question?

As far as the most recent question you ask, I don't know how they plan to honor Rivera.

They will probably do like the Cardinals, who in 2006 retired Bruce Sutter's #42, where they share the number.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2117/2393861849_f05bd5d0ed.jpg?v=0

twentywontowin

09-23-2008, 05:00 PM

I wouldn't mind #21 for Roberto Clemente. He was a great humanitarian

bigsoxfan420

09-23-2008, 05:12 PM

I think it is one of the worst ideas ever. "42" has meaing because of the racism that exited (exists) in Robinson's time (and now). Babe Ruth is arguably the best player ever, but it is not the same thing.

doublem23

09-23-2008, 05:43 PM

I think it is one of the worst ideas ever. "42" has meaing because of the racism that exited (exists) in Robinson's time (and now). Babe Ruth is arguably the best player ever, but it is not the same thing.

There is, however, the argument that Babe Ruth basically saved baseball from the gambling scandals of the early 1900's (*cough* Black Sox *cough*) and helped make it "America's Pastime."

Not saying I agree with that argument, but there's more to this than just "he was a great player."

IspepAloc

09-23-2008, 06:12 PM

I can see the reasoning behind retiring 42 for Robinson because of what he represented. Babe Ruth was a great ballplayer and I think that if they retire #3 then families can make cases for retiring other great players like Mantle, Ted Williams, etc.

If MLB decides to go this route, they should leave it up to the individual clubs to decide how they want to honor Babe Ruth and I hope it's nothing like that Cardinals image with Sutter.

Railsplitter

09-23-2008, 06:46 PM

Then Hideo Nomo for the Japanese players, and Hee Sop Choi for the Korean players, Jose Contreras for the Cubans. Where will it end? Jackie Robinson was African American. Couldn't it just be said that by crossing the "color line" he crossed it for all "people of color"?

There are several players from the first quarter of the Twentieth Century (before the advent of uniform numbers) nicknamed "Chief" Anybody care to guess why?

Jpgr91

09-23-2008, 10:39 PM

There is, however, the argument that Babe Ruth basically saved baseball from the gambling scandals of the early 1900's (*cough* Black Sox *cough*) and helped make it "America's Pastime."

Not saying I agree with that argument, but there's more to this than just "he was a great player."

There is also an arguement that McGuire and Sosa saved baseball after the strike.

Not saying I agree with that, but you know...

chaerulez

09-24-2008, 01:56 AM

There is also an arguement that McGuire and Sosa saved baseball after the strike.

Not saying I agree with that, but you know...

Well they did, but no one really wanted to hear the truth at the time.

alohafri

09-24-2008, 06:22 AM

There are several players from the first quarter of the Twentieth Century (before the advent of uniform numbers) nicknamed "Chief" Anybody care to guess why?

Mark Salas :redneck

alohafri

09-24-2008, 06:23 AM

That atmosphere when Nomo and Choi came to America was a bit different than that of Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente.